Sookie Stackhouse
Sookie Merlotte (née Stackhouse) is a major character in the 13 books of "The Southern Vampire Mysteries". Sookie is the most prominent main character in the series. She is a human/fairy hybrid from Bon Temps, Louisiana. She has the power to hear the thoughts of others. She works as a waitress for Sam Merlotte at his restaurant Merlotte's and was involved with Eric Northman. In the end she ends up married to Sam Merlotte and the two have four children. __TOC__ Physical Appearance Sookie has natural blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Most men in the books (and a few women) notice that she is very nicely built. She is known to always have a big smile on her face, which is sometimes due to nerves. Sookie has a sunkissed skin tone. Sookie also has large breasts. Another noticeable trait about Sookie is that she speaks with the Southern Louisiana dialect. Personality Most people see Sookie as a nice, though simple, girl who may be little more than insane. This is because as a telepath she must constantly cope with hearing people's thoughts. She can hear their darkest secrets—without wanting to—and so is awkward, usually socially, around people. Sookie is also polite and caring, always willing to help someone in need. Although Sookie is kind, she never hesitates to stand up for herself and her beliefs, even when face-to-face with an angry vampire or her best friend. Sookie is loyal to her friends, but when a friend does not return that loyalty she is deeply hurt. Some of Sookie's negative traits include her naivety and gullibility. These traits are partly due to her quiet, sheltered life in a small town combined with her trusting disposition. She can also be quite blunt and sarcastic. Sookie has a natural (and deadly) appreciation and curiosity of the supernatural world and all the creatures in it, primarily because she cannot hear their thoughts and feels at peace with them. Also, they value her telepathic abilities and respect her, whereas humans treat her like she is simple or insane. Biography Background Sookie was born in Bon Temps, Louisiana July 1, 1979. She was born with telepathic powers and as a result of being an odd child because of them, she was put under many psychological tests. Some time shortly after (when Sookie was only 7) her parents died in a flash flood, leaving her grandmother Adele to raise her, and her older brother Jason. While Sookie was still a child she was frequently molested by her great Uncle Bartlett. Her parents did not believe her when she told them, so the molestation went on until after they died. While under her Gran's care great Uncle Bartlett tried to rape little Sookie again this time, however, her Gran believed her and disowned Bartlett saying that he raped Sookie's Aunt Linda as well. She never excelled in school because her telepathy made it difficult to concentrate, as a result she didn't attend college either. Sookie has worked at Merlotte's Bar for a little over five years. She lived a quiet life until Bill Compton, a Civil War veteran/vampire, strolled into Merlotte's. Powers and Abilities Sookie has been shown to have several powers in the series derived from two sources: her fairy heritage and a demon's blessing on her family. Since demons and fairies are two subspecies of the fae (basic supernatural creatures), all of her powers are fae in origin. Due to Desmond Cataliades blessing Sookie's grandmother Adele (unbeknownst to her) with his blood, any descendant of Adele with the 'essential spark' (or strong affinity toward the supernatural) will possess telepathy. Telepathy is the ability to sense thoughts and read people's minds. She has had this power her entire life, and it often led her to become an outcast in her youth until she learned to gradually control it. Sookie learned how to pull a mental shield around her mind (sort of like a wall) which blocks all the thoughts coming into her head. However this wall takes a lot of concentration so she can usually only focus on one other thing at a time (e.g. taking orders) while using her shield. Sookie can only hear what someone is thinking at the moment she "listens in" and so cannot per se find out where a serial killer has buried a body unless he/she is thinking of it at the exact moment she reads their mind. However, in the second book, it is shown Sookie can use her telepathy to put people into a somewhat of a hypnotic trance and so can open their minds to think, and see in their heads exactly what she wants to know. Sookie can easily hear the thoughts and emotions of humans. However with Weres and shapeshifters she can only feel emotions and moods. With vampires and the fae, she cannot hear them, but vampire minds appear as 'black holes' of thoughts in the air and the fae still give off a mental 'hum' so she can tell if they're nearby. With vampires, Sookie does occasionally have glimpses of thoughts. She has heard Eric's thoughts several times (although when she was blood bound to Eric she could always sense his emotions and his thoughts were more clear), she never heard Bill's, and she heard Stan Davis, the King of Texas and a few others at the vampire summit. One sub-power of telepathy is her mind is protected from glamours. Her telepathy allows her immunity to mind powers, e.g. vampires' glamour and maenads' madness infection. This however does not protect her from the fae's seductive power as Preston was able to use his power to entice Sookie into sleeping with him. Sookie's supernatural/magic perception is also much stronger than the average human. Whether or not this is due to her demonic telepathy, her fairy biology, or both is unknown. When Sookie sees a Vampire she sees them with a light glow unlike other people. This lets her tell if a person is a vampire straight away when she meets them. This power also lets Sookie see the true forms of Fae (e.g. the elves Bellenos and Gift in "Deadlocked" or the part-demon Diantha in several books) when they are shape-shifting or casting illusions to hide their true appearance. However, powerful fae (such as Niall and Preston) who are adept at illusion-casting or shape-shifting can fool even other fae. Since her powers have been growing throughout the series, the true extent of her power is unknown. Even though she is a human-fairy hybrid she rarely uses her magic. Sookie is 1/8 fae and 7/8 human. This gives her some physical attributes of the fae like beauty and blood attraction. (This blood attraction works for Weres and other supernatural beings and not just Vampires). Her fairy blood makes Vampires around her feel vibrant and full of life. She is also generally healthier than humans and is rarely sick. As Sookie is a sky fairy, she has an affinity for sunlight and loves to sunbathe outside for hours to gain a tan. In the book Dead Reckoning, it is shown that when around other faes, or part-fae, fae essence is amplified. Sookie's fairy qualities are amplified when she lives with her fairy relatives, full-fae Claude and half-fae Dermot, which makes her become even more fairy-like. This extra fairy quality has given her extra vigor, beauty, magic, and strength, enough to hurt Alcide (a werewolf) when she playfully punches him for a comment he made. It is revealed that as Sookie is not a full fairy, she only has limited access to fae magic. Sookie was also shown to be able to reverse a magic spell on her Grand-Uncle Dermot by giving him a kiss on his cheek. However this was in conjunction with her full-blooded fae cousin Claude so it is not known if she can do this by herself. She has also been shown to have a physical side, as she is seen fighting on multiple occasions. She is also a good marksman, seen when she shoots and kills Debbie. Relationships Gran Adele Stackhouse was Sookie's grandmother and a parent figure. Sookie and her older brother Jason were raised by Adele from age 7 and 10. Sookie and Adele were close and lived together in the Stackhouse farmhouse. Sookie and her grandmother had many things in common, particularly open mindedness, curiosity, and hospitality. Adele also instilled Southern hospitality and manners in Sookie. Adele was killed by Rene Lenier in Dead Until Dark. Jason Stackouse Jason Stackhouse is Sookie's brother and the eldest Stackhouse. He and Sookie have never been close due to Jason's selfishness and irresponsible behaviour. However, after Sookie and Sam saved Jason from Felton Norris the two grew closer. Later, Jason became a "were-panther". Sookie gave Jason away at his wedding to Crystal Norris. This proved to be something she would regret when Jason set her up to finding Crystal cheating. In accordance with the oath Sookie took when she gave Jason to Crystal, Calvin (who gave Crystal away) had to be punished by Sookie. Bill Compton Bill Compton was Sookie's first love. When he walked into Merlotte's Bar, Sookie was excited to learn that she could not "hear" his mind. After Sookie realizes this the two begin a relationship. As a way to protect and keep Sookie, Bill becomes the Area 5 investigator under Eric. In the third book, Club Dead, Bill leaves Sookie for his maker Lorena, who drains and tortures him. Sookie goes to Mississippi to save him, and learns on the trip that Bill had been unfaithful. During his rescue, because he was injured and starving for blood, a delirious Bill attacks Sookie and feeds very heavily on her and rapes her. Because of his infidelity, Sookie ends the relationship for good. In Definitely Dead, Eric forces Bill to tell Sookie the truth about the Queen placing him in Bon Temps to investigate Sookie's talent and gain her trust. As a result, Sookie tells Bill to get out of her life and wishes never to see him again. In Deadlocked, Bill and Sookie must work together to solve a murder mystery. Eric Northman Eric Northman and Sookie have a love/hate relationship throughout the series. Eric has been alive for over 1000 years and is over humanity. When he meets Sookie for the first time, he is attracted and intrigued by her. Sookie is very drawn to him but he also scares her and she doesn't understand his attraction to her. Eric tries several times to have sex with Sookie and she shuts him down. It is a game both of them enjoy playing. In Living Dead in Dallas, Eric drinks her blood to help save her from a Meanad attack and later tricks her into drinking his blood in order to save his life. The blood exchanges intensify their feelings and attractions for each other. In Club Dead, Eric gives her a significant amount of blood after she is staked. When Eric loses his memory from a spell in Dead to the World ''he stays with Sookie for protection. They have a brief and very steamy intimate relationship, where Eric confesses his love and loyalty to Sookie. When the spell is broken he forgets everything that has happened, leaving her broken-hearted and confused. In ''All Together Dead, Sookie drinks his blood for the third time, creating a full Blood Bond. Sookie is uncomfortable with the bond, but they had little choice in the matter. Eric had offered to make the bond in place of the Vampire Queen of Louisiana's second in command, Andre, who wished to force such a bond on her himself. The bond lets each other know their presence, moods, feelings as well as intensifies them. In From Dead to Worse, Eric recoverers his memory of their time together. He is in love with Sookie by now and would do anything to protect her. In Dead and Gone he marries Sookie vampire-style in order to protect her from the King of Nevada who has taken over Louisiana in a coup. Although she is angry with the sly way it happened, she understands Eric was saving her. They begin an intimate relationship and exchange blood again. In Deadlocked, Sookie must come to terms with the fact that Eric is feeding off of younger women. Quinn John Quinn is a powerful were-tiger who first meets Sookie in Dead as a Doornail and in Definitely Dead the two begin dating. The dating process is not an easy one for this couple, because on every date they had they were attacked by werewolves. In Altogether Dead Sookie and Quinn were a couple, and like all the men Sookie dates, Quinn risked his life to save her. It becomes apparent in From Dead to Worse that though Quinn is invested in the relationship, his family is an impediment. After a vampire takeover, in which Quinn is an unwilling partner, results in the death of many vampires Sookie knows, she breaks off the relationship with him, saying his family will always come ahead of a romantic partner. Sam Merlotte Sam Merlotte Owner of Merlotte's Bar and Grill, he is Sookie's boss and full blooded shifter. Though he can turn into any animal he imprints on, he prefers a collie dog. He struggles with his love for Sookie, but is seen as only a friend by her, until Dead Ever After. He doesn't like vampires too much and tries to stay out of supernatural politics. In Dead Ever After, he and Sookie become an item. In After Dead: What Came Next in The World of Sookie Stackhouse, it is revealed that Sookie and Sam eventually got married and had 4 children: Neal, Jennings, Adele and Jillian Tara. All four children grow up with great tolerance towards supernatural creatures such as vampires. Sookie and Sam continued to tend Merlotte's until they retired. Alcide Herveaux Alcide Herveaux is a werewolf that first appears in Club Dead and takes interest in Sookie. Sookie had mentioned that she finds him attractive, but Debbie Pelt, Alcide's on-again off-again girlfriend comes between them often. In Dead To The World, Sookie kills her in self-defense, leaving a rift between the two. When Alcide's father goes up for packmaster, Alcide cons Sookie into helping; this is where their relationship falls apart. Alcide uses Sookie several times to better position himself in the pack. They are friends and share a mutual attraction, but after he ascended to pack leader, they realize they will never be together. Amelia Broadway Amelia Broadway An up-and-coming witch that appears in Definitely Dead. She was the landlady for Sookie's cousin Hadley in New Orleans. In an attempt at magic during a romantic encounter with a lively man named Bob, she accidentally turns him into a cat. She leaves the city and stays with Sookie while she tries to reverse the spell. He lives Sookie and Amelia as a pet. Her father is a major power in New Orleans, including the construction business. She is bisexual and had a brief relationship with Pam. She later has a relationship with the werewolf Tray Dawson. But after he is killed in Dead and Gone, she returns to New Orleans in Dead in the Family. Niall Niall Brigant was Sookie's great grandfather and a fairy prince. He loves Sookie and wants to be a part of her life, but this puts her in danger. In order to protect her and other humans from the often savage and cruel fae race, he seals off the human world from Faery land. Tara Thornton Tara Thornton In the book, Tara is the owner of a department store, called Tara's Togs. She has had a hard life, but has come out on top. She dates a man she and Sookie graduated with, but he is killed while they are at a sex party. Tara then dips into the world of the undead and finds the experience life threatening; she's almost killed by the vampire Mickey. Tara then marries JB Du Rone (whom also graduated with Sookie and Tara). Tara and Sookie are friends, but not as close as they are in the show. Claudine Claudine Crane is a fairy trying to earn her wings as an angel. Repeated attempts at keeping Sookie safe hinder this. She is the twin sister of Claude a strip club owner and fellow fairy, and is Sookie's fairy Godmother as well as her cousin. She and Claude are Niall's grandchildren. Calvin Norris Calvin Norris Leader of the werepanther pack in Hotshot. He tried to persuade Sookie to bear his child in order to have new blood in their small inbred community. Sophie-Anne Sophie-Ann Le'Clerq is the Vampire Queen of Louisiana. She sent Bill Compton into Bon Temps to procure Sookie and gain her trust. Sookie does not particularly like Sophie-Anne, but she does respect her. Sookie looks out for the queen's best interest in matters of state business; Sophie-Anne values her as well. Sophie dies in a coup by Felipe de Castro who becomes the King of Louisiana, Arkansas and Nevada. Hadley Hadley Delahoussaye is Sookie’s only cousin and was turned a vampire by Sophie-Anne Leclerq. In her human years, Hadley was popular in high school, a cheerleader and even Miss Bon Temps. She gets involved with drugs and prostitution during her junior year of high school and runs away to New Orleans. Sookie has not seen her since. Hadley is one of the favorites of the queen, but gets staked by Waldo, another vampire who is jealous of the queen’s fondness for Hadley. In the book series, Hadley is already dead and is only mentioned in the sixth book, Definitely Dead. But she is first introduced in Charlaine Harris’ short story One Word Answer. Later in the books Sookie discovers Hadley's past: she was married and gave birth to a baby named Hunter, who has mind-reading skills. Hunter Savoy Hunter Savoy is Hadley's son and Sookie's first cousin once removed, and like Sookie is a telepath. She tries to help him gain control over his telepathy but he has problems with it because he is so young; however, he is mature for his age. For Hunter's safety, the only people who know about his telepathy are Claude, Sookie and his father Remy. Children Neal, Jennings, Adele, and Jillian Tara Merlotte are Sookie's children with Sam Merlotte. All four have great tolerance of the supernatural but only Jennings has the same "spark" as Sookie. Niece and Nephew Corbett Stackhouse II and Marie Stackhouse are the son and daughter of Jason Stackhouse and his wife Michele Schubert. Like Sookie, Marie has the "spark". HBO Portrayal Sookie Stackhouse is portrayed by Canadian Kiwi actress Anna Paquin in the television adaption of The Sookie Stackhouse Books, retronymed True Blood. Paquin's physical appearance differs from the Sookie of the books. She is more thin than what Charlaine Harris envisioned Sookie to look like. Paquin is also naturally fair skinned and has dark hair. In order to resemble the Sookie from the books closer, she applies tanning lotion and dyes her hair blonde. Despite this being Anna Paquin's unnatural hair colour, the Sookie in flashbacks is portrayed as blonde. Paquin also has brown eyes while the Sookie from the books has blue. Paquin has joked that she wears a good bra to give the illusion of her literary counterpart's famously large breasts. One of the marked differences between the Sookie from the books and the show is their fairy lineage. In the books, Sookie is seven eighths human and one eighth fairy. This simply makes her more attractive to other humans and supernatural creatures, and ensures that she is generally healthier than other humans. She did not receive the gift of telepathy from her fairy lineage. In the show, Sookie is described as having very diluted fairy blood, she is only 1/128 fairy. This not only makes her capable of using uncontrollable, spontaneous magic (so far she has the ability to knock people across rooms with some form of photokinetic power) but it also means she doesn't have a regular human blood type, and finite powers. Gallery Images SookieBooks.png Appearances Category:Characters Category:Humans Category:Supernatural Category:Telepaths Category:Fairies Category:Dead Until Dark characters Category:Living Dead in Dallas characters Category:Club Dead characters Category:Dead to the World characters Category:Dead as a Doornail characters Category:Definitely Dead characters Category:All Together Dead characters Category:From Dead to Worse characters Category:Dead and Gone characters Category:Dead in the Family characters Category:Dead Reckoning characters Category:Deadlocked characters Category:Dead Ever After characters Category:Companion characters